US Foreign Policy: From Isolation to Imperialism

  • Shift from Isolationism to Imperialism

    • Mid to late 1800s: US Monroe Doctrine maintained Isolation & Neutrality, especially with Europe.

    • Factors for shift by 1900:

    • Transportation efficiency (steamships & railroads) reduced global distances.

    • Expansion of US industrial and agricultural exports created the need for new markets.

    • Political power of US businessmen grew through Machine Politics.

    • Belief in White Anglo-Saxon Protestant superiority.

    • Rising European empires across Asia inspiring US intervention.

  • Treaty of Wanghsia (1845)

    • Opened 4 Chinese ports for US trade under President Polk, included "extraterritoriality" for American criminals tried by US officials.

  • US Relations with Japan (1854)

    • Commodore Perry threatened war, resulting in Treaty of Kanagawa, ending Japan's isolationist policies and opening trade with the US.

  • Pacific Expansion for Guano (1856)

    • Guano Islands Act legalized claims on uninhabited Pacific islands for agriculture.

  • Mexican Border Crisis (1865-1870s)

    • France's invasion of Mexico during Civil War; US neutrality shifting to intervention post-war under Johnson.

  • Canadian Border Crisis (1866-1871)

    • Fennian Brotherhood launched raids into Canada, leading to US military deployment against Irish American aggression.

  • Alaska Purchase (1867)

    • Acquired from Russia for $7.2 million; initially viewed as barren but later justified by gold rush.

  • Hawaii's Annexation (1898)

    • American businessmen influenced the overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani; Hawaii served as a crucial military and economic base in the Pacific.

  • Spanish-American War (1898)

    • Background: Cuban uprisings against Spanish rule; US involvement escalated by media hype (yellow journalism).

    • The sinking of USS Maine and de Lome letter increased public sentiment for war.

    • US claimed to liberate Cubans but also took control of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

  • Treaty of Paris (1898)

    • Ended the war, recognized Cuban independence, and transferred Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the US.

  • Philippine-American War (1899-1902)

    • Filipinos rebelled against US occupation, contradicting earlier promises of independence.

  • Open Door Policy with China (1899)

    • Aimed to ensure equal trading rights in China against European spheres of influence.

  • Insular Cases (1901)

    • Supreme Court rulings defining the status of newly acquired territories (e.g., Puerto Rico, Guam) as unincorporated, lacking full US rights.